Article group-segregating mechanism

ABSTRACT

Articles from which a group is to be segregated are fed in two parallel rows alongside each other until such rows are stopped by clamping means actuated by engagement of the end of the group to be segregated with a stop. Adjacent arms of counterrotating rotors lift the group of articles to be segregated from the infeed path to a parallel discharge path along which a pusher moves to push the segregated article group to a bagging station for bagging. Upon transfer of the segregated article group from the feed path to the discharge path the clamping means are released so that feed of articles from the feed section to the segregating section is resumed.

United States Paten 1191 Formo [54] ARTICLE GROUP-SEGREGATING MECHANISM[75] Inventor: Alvin C. Formo, Seattle, Wash.

[73] Assignee: Formost Packaging Machines, Inc.,

Seattle, Wash.

[22] Filed: Dec. 14, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 97,784

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3 1943 Willoughby ..198/2112/1966 Burke ..l98/34X 11 1 3,732,969 14 1 May 15,1973

3,385,417 5/1968 Dixon ..198/25 Primary Examiner-Edward A. SrokaAttorney Robert W. Beach [57] ABSTRACT Articles from which a group is tobe segregated are fed in two parallel rows alongside each other untilsuch rows are stopped by clamping means actuated by engagement of theend of the group to be segregated with a stop. Adjacent arms ofcounterrotating rotors lift the group of articles to be segregated fromthe infeed path to a parallel discharge path along which a pusher movesto push the segregated article group to a bagging station for bagging.Upon transfer of the segregated article group from the feed path to thedischarge path the clamping means are released so that feed of articlesfrom the feed section to the segregating section is resumed.

5 Claims, 13 Drawing; Figures PAIENIEDMYI 3,732,969

SHEET 2 OF 5 25 5 INVENTOR. Jim 27 4A (my a Fmwa A 770/?NE V PATENTEDMAY 1 5191s SHEET l 0F 5 IVENTOR. Azw/v a FOR/W0 A'TTdR/VEY PAIENIEU m 15191s SHEET 5 BF 5 INVENTOR. 41 w/v c. FOR/-70 4142 M ATTORNEY 1 ARTICLEGROUP-SEGREGATING MECHANISM This invention relates to mechanism fortransforming a supply of articles to be bagged from a continuous feedinto a feed of such articles in segregated groups.

Heretofore transformation of a supply of articles from a continuous feedto a group feed has usually been accomplished by pushing a group ofarticles from a supply path to a discharge path by reciprocatingmechanism which intercepted the supply path and blocked it until thesegregating mechanism had been retracted from the supply path.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide mechanism forsegregating automatically and expeditiously successive groups ofarticles each including a predetermined number from a continuous supplyof articles.

Another object is to provide group-segregating mechanism which willoperate quickly without damaging the articles being segregated, yetwhich will be of simple construction.

A further object is to provide segregating mechanism which is veryflexible in operation in that it can be adapted or designed to segregategroups of different types and sizes of articles into groups of variousselected numbers.

It is also an object to provide segregating mechanism which is readilyaccessible for servicing, such as for cleaning, for removal of defectivearticles, or for clearing a jammed condition.

FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic plan of the entire supply, feeding,segregating, bagging and removing mechanism.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan of a portion of the feed section, of thegroupsegregating and transfer section and of a portion of the baggingsection.

FIG. 3 is a top perspective of a portion of the feed section.

FIG. 4 is a top perspective of a portion of the feed section and aportion of the group-segregating section.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are plans of adjacent portions of the feed section and ofthe group-segregating section, showing parts in different operativepositions.

FIG. 7 is a top perspective of the group-segregating section.

FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 are transverse sections through the group-segregatingsection taken on line 88 of FIG. 5 and showing parts in differentoperative positions.

FIG. 11 is a top perspective of the group-segregating section and anadjacent portion of the bagging section.

FIG. 12 is a side elevation of a portion of the feed section, thegroup-segregating section and an adjacent portion of the baggingsection, parts being broken away.

FIG. I3 is a side elevation ofa portion of the bagging section.

The article group segregating mechanisms of the present invention issuitable for use with a bagging machine such as shown in U. S. Pat. No.3,508,379, which was designed for bagging individual articles. Thepresent mechanism is illustrated as being used to segregate rolls oftoilet tissue into groups so that each group is packaged in a separatebag, but mechanisms utilizing the principle of the present invention canbe used for packaging groups of articles of different types and sizes,although the articles should be of substantially circular cross section,such as being cylindrical or perhaps spherical, and may be hollow orsolid.

The articles are supplied to the bagging machine from a supply section 1shown in FIG. 1, which could be a hopper arrangement or the output fromarticlemanufacturing apparatus. The articles are fed to the articlegroup-segregating mechanism in two rows on parallel adjacent transportor feed belts 20 with their substantially circular cross sectionsdisposed transversely of the direction of feed movement. The articlesare kept from falling from the feed belts by sides 21 extending alongthe feed section. Also, the rows of articles are separated by a dividerplate 21' located between the feed belts and extending parallel to thewalls 21.

At the location of the feed section 2 adjacent to the articlegroup-segregating section 3 the rows of articles pass between opposedclamping plates 22, as shown best in FIGS. 5 and 6. These clampingplates are supported by parallel links 23 and 24 for movement betweenthe unclamped relationship shown in FIG. 5 and the article-clampingrelationship shown in FIG. 6. Approach and separating movement of theclamping plates is effected by swinging of the bell cranks 25, eachhaving one arm connected to a plate 22. The other arm of each bell crankis connected to a fluid pressure operated actuating jack 26 preferablyoperated by air under pressure.

Tension springs 27 connected to the bell cranks 25 urge such bell cranksin a direction to hold the clamping plates 22 spread apart in unclampedrelationship. Also, tension springs 28 extending parallel to theactuating jack cylinders 26 urge the actuators and bell cranks in adirection to hold the clamping plates 22 in or move them towardunclamped relationship. If one of the springs 27 and 28 should fail,therefore, and the actuator jack should fail, the clamping plate willstill be moved by the other spring into its unclamped position so as notto obstruct movement of articles by the transport belts 20.

From the feed section articles to be grouped are moved by the belts 20into the group-segregating section 3, where they are supported by plate30 substantially coplanar with the transport belts, as shown in FIG. 12.Such article-supporting plate is disposed beneath the group-segregatingrotors 31, the arms 32 of which form shelves projecting radially outwardfrom the rotor core and movable always unidirectionally through thegroup-segregating section in a direction transversely of the directionof article movement. Each rotor is supported and rotated by a shaft 33turning always unidirectionally, which shafts are mounted in parallelrelationship above the opposite longitudinal edges of the supportingplate 30, respectively.

When the group-segregating mechanism is in articlereceiving condition,the rotors 31 will be in rotative positions such that adjacent shelves32 are disposed in coplanar relationship above the article-supportingplate 30, as shown in FIG. 8, to provide a chamber between the plate 30and the shelf members 32 above it for reception of articles from belts20. Rotor arm members 32 projecting vertically downward from the rotors,as shown in this figure, form opposite sides of the articlereceivingchamber.

Articles are moved by transport belts 20 from the feed section into thegroup-segregating section when the clamping plates 22 are in theirretracted positions shown in FIG. 5. Movement of articles into thegroupsegregating section chamber is limited by a stop 34 mounted on theend of a slide bar 35. The length of such bar extends lengthwise of thearticle-receiving chamber between the rotors, as shown in FIGS. 2, 7 and8.

The position of the stop longitudinally of the groupsegregating sectioncan be varied depending upon the extent of each article lengthwise ofthe supporting plate 30 and the number of such articles arranged in arow along that plate which it is desired to include in a single group.The bar has notches 35' at locations spaced along its lower side, asshown in FIG. 7, and is slidably supported in notches of plates 35"spaced lengthwise of the bar. The spacing of such supporting plates isequal to the spacing of the bar notches 35 or a multiple of suchspacing, so that the bar can be positioned with two of its notches 35'engaged respectively with the two bar-supporting plates 35" to hold thestop 34 securely in a definitely adjusted position.

The rotors 31 are rotated always unidirectionally so that each rotatesin the direction opposite to the direc tion of rotation of the otherrotor by drive mechanism including a drive shaft 36 suitably connected,such as by bevel gearing, to a cross shaft 37 connecting the twoparallel rotor shafts 33 by bevel gearing 38. Such bevel gearing isarranged so that the left shaft 33, as seen in FIG. 8, is driven torotate always in a counterclockwise direction, whereas the right shaft33 is driven to rotate always in a clockwise direction.

Energization of the drive mechanism for rotating the two rotors 31 isaccomplished by reception in the group-segregating mechanism of theproper number of articles to form a group. When the proper number hasbeen pushed by the feed belts 20 into the groupsegregating section, theleading units of the group of articles will be pressed against theactuating leaves 39 of the rotor drive-energizing switches to effectenergization of the drive mechanism to rotate rotor drive shaft 36. Itwill be noted in FIG. 2 that the two switch leaves 39 are disposedrespectively in alignment with the two different rows of articles A. Thetwo switches actuated by the leaves 39 are connected in series in therotor drive mechanism energizing circuit, so that it is necessary forboth of such leaves to be swung into operative position by engagementwith them of articles A in the two rows before the rotor drive mechanismwill be energized.

When the drive mechanism for rotating shaft 36 is thus energized it willturn the two rotors 31 conjointly from the position shown in FIG. 8through the position of FIG. 9 to the position of FIG. 10. The drivemechanism will then be deenergized automatically until both actuatingleaves 39 are again depressed to energize the rotor drive mechanism forindexing both rotors to turn conjointly through another one-quarterrevolution increment.

Sufficient pressure to depress the switch leaves 39 for actuation oftheir switches can only be exerted by the articles A when a column ofsuch articles is pushed into the group-segregating section by thetransport belts 20 of the feed section. Such operation insures that thedesired group of articles to be segregated has been delivered to thegroup-segregating mechanism before the rotors are energized. Rotation ofthe rotors in the respectively opposite directions indicated by thearrows in FIG. 8 will cause the downwardly projecting shelves 32 toswing toward each other so that the articles A will be scooped upbetween such shelves.

Since the group of articles is confined in the pockets formed by theshelves, the articles in the two rows may be pressed against each otherto some extent, as shown in FIG. 9. When they have been elevated to theposition of FIG. 10, however, the articles of the group thus segregatedwill be supported on the horizontal shelves 32 in free condition to bepushed out of the space between the upwardly projecting shelves. Also,as soon as the articles of the group have substantially reached theelevated position shown in FIG. 10, it will be observed that the spacebeneath the inner horizontal shelves 32 has been cleared so that theclamping plates 22 can be retracted from their clamping positions shownin FIG. 6 to release the articles between such plates for movement bybelt 20 into the space below such shelves. Since the segregatingmechanism clears the space for receiving additional articlessubstantially simultaneously with removal of the group of articles fromsuch space, the group-segregating procedure is greatly expedited overthe operation of the reciprocating type of group-segregating mechanism.

During such group-segregating operation it is necessary to preventmovement of additional articles from the feed section 2 into thegroup-segregating section 3 so as to avoid interference with therotation of the rotors 31. While movement of the belts 20 could beinterrupted to accomplish this purpose, it is preferred that such belts20 continue to move uninterruptedly and that feed of articles from thefeed section into the group-segregating section be prevented by clampingthe articles in the feed section adjacent to the groupsegregatingsection, so that the feed belts will merely slide under such clampedarticles and will continue to move additional articles toward suchclamped articles.

The articles A usually are moved by the feed belts 20 with spacesbetween them, as shown in FIG. 3, which may vary to a greater or lesserextent. When the articles of a group to be segregated have been movedinto the group-segregating section 3, however, as shown in FIG. 6, theyshould be tight together. It is also desirable for the articles in thefeed section adjacent to the groupsegregating section to besubstantially in abutment as shown in FIG. 6. Only when the articlesadjacent to the group-segregating section are in abutment is it possiblefor the belts 20 to exert sufficient force through them to press thegrouped articles in the group-segregating section firmly against theswitch-actuating means 39.

When the articles A in the portion of the feed section adjacent to thegroup-segregating section have been moved into abutment, as shown inFIG. 6, the clamping plates 22 can be moved from the released positionof FIG. 5 into the clamping position of FIG. 6 by actuation of the jacks26. Prior to engagement of such clamping plates with the articles Aadjacent to the segregating mechanism, such articles are in abutmentwith the adjacent articles in the group-segregating section, asmentioned above. In order to avoid interference of the articles in thefeed section with segregating movement of the articles in thegroup-segregating section, it is desirable for such articles to beshifted apart slightly, as shown in FIG. 6. This action is accomplishedby the component of movement of clamping plates 22 lengthwise of belts20 in the direction opposite to such belt movement, because suchclamping plates are carried by the swinging arms 23 and 24. As suchplates grip and compress the articles A to some extent, the articles inthe feed section adjacent to the group-segregating section will beshifted backward a short distance away from the group-segregatingsection to provide the gap shown in FIG. 6 between the articles at thejunction of the feed section and the group-segregating section.

Operation of the jacks 26 to effect clamping of articles at the end ofthe feed section 2 can be coordinated with group-segregating rotation ofthe rotors 31 by actuating both of these components by closing of theswitches resulting from depression of the switchactuating leaves 39effected by engagement of the articles A in the group-segregatingsection with such leaves. Such jacks will remain energized until therotors 31 have been indexed through substantially a quarter turn to theposition of FIG. 10. The jacks can be deenergized either by a time delayoperation or by a limit switch operated by rotation of rotors 31, sothat the transport belt 20 can move the unclamped articles from the feedsection into the group segregating section for segregation of the nextgroup.

From the raised position shown in FIGS. 6 and resting on the coplanarshelves 32 of the two rotors, the segregated group of articles isshifted from the groupsegregating section 3 to the bagging section 4shown in FIG. 1. Such shifting is effected by orbiting pushercarryingrods 40 carrying pushers 41 which are driven and guided to move along apath between the upwardly projecting vanes 32 of the rotors 31 as shownin FIGS. 10, 11 and 12.

By such a pusher the segregated group of articles is pushed from thecoplanar shelves 32 of the rotors 31 along the supporting plate or table42. The articles are prevented from falling from such table by rails 43supported along opposite sides of the table on posts 44. The ends 45 ofsuch rails adjacent to the groupsegregating section 3 are flaredoutwardly so that the rails will hold the grouped articles in compactrelationship. A pusher 41 moves such a compact group to and across thearticle-supporting platform 46 at the bagging station 4 into the openmouth of a bag 47. The bag mouth can be spread to receive the group ofarticles by opening movement of jaws 48 inserted into the mouth of thebag. The group of articles is pushed between such jaws and through thebag mouth by movement of the pusher 41.

I claim:

1. Article-handling mechanism comprising feed means for moving a seriesof articles along a feed path in a predetermined direction, dischargemeans for moving articles successively along a discharge pathelevationally separated from such feed path in a direction substantiallyparallel to such predetermined direction, two sets of shelves, twoshelf-supporting means disposed at opposite sides, respectively, of thefeed path and the discharge path supporting each shelf of saidrespective sets in cantilever fashion by one edge for disposition ofcooperating shelves of the two sets in coplanar relationship in verticalregistration with the feed path and the discharge path, and with theedges of said cooperating shelves adjacent to each other, the shelfedges adjacent to the feed path and the shelf edges adjacent to thedischarge path being unobstructed by said shelf-supporting means, andmoving means shifting said shelf-supporting means conjointly to moveshelves of said two sets elevationally through the adjacent end portionof the feed path transversely of the direction of movement of articlesalong the feed path to transfer articles elevationally from the feedpath to the discharge path for movement from the shelves along thedischarge path by said discharge means.

2. The mechanism defined in claim 1, in which the shelf-supporting meansincludes two rotors disposed in side-by-side relationship and rotatablein opposite directions respectively about axes disposed parallel to thefeed path and the discharge path, said rotors having cooperating armsforming the shelves.

3. Article group-segregating mechanism comprising feed means for movingtwo rows of articles in side-byside relationship along a feed path,discharge means for moving pairs of articles from such two rowssuccessively along a discharge path offset elevationally from such feedpath, group-segregating means operable to receive a plurality ofarticles from the feed path and including two rotors disposed inside-by-side relationship, rotatable in opposite directions respectivelyabout axes disposed parallel to and alongside the feed path and havingarms engageable with a plurality of articles of a segregated group inboth of such rows, and means turning said group-segregating rotorsalways unidirectionally to clear the feed path by transferring suchplurality of articles from each row as a group from such feed path tosuch discharge path for movement along the discharge path by saiddischarge means.

4. Article group-segregating mechanism comprising feed means for movinga plurality of articles along a feed path, discharge means for movinggroups of articles successively along a discharge path offset from suchfeed path, group-segregating means operable to receive a plurality ofarticles from the feed path, means for driving said feed means to movecontinuously, clamping means engageable with articles being moved bysaid feed means at the feed side of such plurality of articles forrestraining movement of the articles following such plurality ofarticles by said feed means to said group-segregating means, and meansmoving said group-segregating means always unidirectionally to clear thefeed path by transferring such plurality of articles as a group fromsuch feed path to such discharge path for movement along the dischargepath by said discharge means.

5. Article group-segregating mechanism comprising feed means for movinga plurality of articles along a feed path, discharge means for movinggroups of articles successively along a discharge path offset from suchfeed path, group-segregating means operable to receive a plurality ofarticles from the feed path, means moving said group-segregating meansalways unidirectionally to clear the feed path by transferring suchplurality of articles as a group from such feed path to such dischargepath for movement along the discharge path by said discharge means, andclamping means engageable with articles moved by said feed means towardsaid group-segregating means for shifting such articles a short distanceaway from said group-segregating means and thereafter restrainingmovement of such articles during movement of said. group-segregatingmeans.

1. Article-handling mechanism comprising feed means for moving a seriesof articles along a feed path in a predetermined direction, dischargemeans for moving articles successively along a discharge pathelevationally separated from such feed path in a direction substantiallyparallel to such predetermined direction, two sets of shelves, twoshelf-supporting means disposed at opposite sides, respectively, of thefeed path and the discharge path supporting each shelf of saidrespective sets in cantilever fashion by one edge for disposition ofcooperating shelves of the two sets in coplanar relationship in verticalregistration with the feed path and the discharge path, and with theedges of said cooperating shelves adjacent to each other, the shelfedges adjacent to the feed path and the shelf edges adjacent to thedischarge path being unobstructed by said shelf-supporting means, andmoving means shifting said shelf-supporting means conjointly to moveshelves of said two sets elevationally through the adjacent end portionof the feed path transversely of the direction of movement of articlesalong the feed path to transfer articles elevationally from the feedpath to the discharge path for movement from the shelves along thedischarge path by said discharge means.
 2. The mechanism defined inclaim 1, in which the shelf-supporting means includes two rotorsdisposed in side-by-side relationship and rotatable in oppositedirections respectively about axes disposed parallel to the feed pathand the discharge path, said rotors having cooperating arms forming theshelves.
 3. Article group-segregating mechanism comprising feed meansfor moving two rows of articles in side-by-side relationship along afeed path, discharge means for moving pairs of articles from such tworows successively along a discharge path offset elevationally from suchfeed path, group-segregating means operable to receive a plurality ofarticles from the feed path and including two rotors disposed inside-by-side relationship, rotatable in opposite directions respectivelyabout axes disposed parallel to and alongside the feed path and havingarms engageable with a plurality of articles of a segregated group inboth of such rows, and means turning said group-segregating rotorsalways unidirectionally to clear the feed path by transferring suchplurality of articles from each row as a group from such feed path tosuch discharge path for movement along the discharge path by saiddischarge means.
 4. Article group-segregating mechanism comprising feedmeans for moving a plurality of articles along a feed path, dischargemeans for moving groups of articles successively along a discharge pathoffset from such feed path, group-segregating means operable to receivea plurality of articles from the feed path, means for driving said feedmeans to move continuously, clamping means engageable with articlesbeing moved by said feed means at the feed side of such plurality ofarticles for restraining movement of the articles following suchplurality of articles by said feed means to said group-segregatingmeans, and means moving said group-segregating means alwaysunidirectionally to clear the feed path by transferring such pluralityof articles as a group from such feed path to such discharge path formovement along the discharge path by said discharge means.
 5. Articlegroup-segregating mechanism comprising feed means for moving a pluralityof articles along a feed path, discharge means for moving groups ofarticles successively along a discharge path offset from such feed path,group-segregating means operable to receive a plurality of articles fromthe feed path, means moving said group-segregating means alwaysunidirectionally to clear the feed path by transferring such pluralityof articles as a group from such feed path to such discharge path formovement along the discharge path by said discharge means, and clampingmeans engageable with articles moved by said feed means toward saidgroup-segregating means for shifting such articles a short distance awayfrom said group-segregating means and thereafter restraining movement ofsuch articles during movement of said group-segregating means.